The Last Time
by Hollie Katrina
Summary: the day before Soda and Steve are to leave Vietnam something comes up that will keep them seperated forever.
1. Chapter 1

Okay guys I rewrote/edited this oneshot, please read and concrit is appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

It was quiet. We were all stationed around, hiding behind anything we could. We could hear bombs and gunfire in the distance. These were the sounds of war.

Steve was on one side of me and a man named Chuck was on the other side. Steve joined up shortly after I was drafted. Neither of us wanted to be alone in the war, and neither of us wanted the other to be alone. Best friends for life.

The funny thing about the war was that it was just like a rumble. A great big rumble, except instead of fighting high up soc's we were fighting a whole different kind of people, and their strategy was tougher to crack. Pipes were replaced with bombs and the fight never ended. Every day we came back out to do it all again.

I was wondering when the rest of the gang would be drafted because I heard that the government was drafting all men that weren't considered too young or too old. I wondered if I would see my friends fighting along beside me. I wondered if I would see them at all.

The bombs started getting closer, and the gunfire was louder than ever. We had been ordered to stay put until they got too close. Then we were to open fire on them. I hated this war. I didn't know anything about these people, I didn't know what we were killing them for. They had done nothing wrong to us, yet here we were, shooting them. Murdering them. Just as the police had murdered Dally. Boy I missed Dally, Johnny too. They were good kids.

I wondered what Ponyboy was doing right now. Did he miss me? Was he keeping up in school? I sure hope he isn't protesting the war. It wouldn't make anything better for me or Steve anyway. The gunfire was too close now and we were ordered to attack. I jumped up, having only the gun between me and the enemy. I started shooting, not at a person, but into the crowd. I hated doing this. There were a lot of them, a lot of innocent looking faces. It killed me to be killing like this. The younger faces reminded me of Ponyboy, the older ones of Darry and anybody in between like Two-Bit or Steve. Then I remembered Steve was fighting right along beside me, and it gave me the confidence to just finish it. We needed to finish it so we could go home.

We had spent a year in Vietnam, Steve and I. We were told about a week ago that we would be going home in a week. Turns out they didn't need us anymore; they had drafted a whole new group of men. We would be heading home tomorrow morning. This was our last big fight. All I could see was fire in the trees. All I could hear was shooting and bullets and screams of pain and agony. I would never be able to forget this. I looked around, but Steve was no longer next to me and neither was Chuck. They must have moved around. I stayed put because I could duck down easily if it got too bad and I had a great shot standing still. Being a greaser prepares you for this kind of stuff.

What seemed like hours later and probably was the enemy ran off. We had won this battle, now it was time to face the causalities. There were many men on the ground, some wounded, some dead. I began walking around. Seeing all the men laying on the ground scared me. It could have been me. I could be dead right now. Thank God Steve and I were going home tomorrow.

Steve.

I looked around and couldn't see him. My heart started to race and I became frantic. Steve had to be walking around somewhere. He wasn't one of the victims laying on the ground. I ran around searching for him, screaming his name. I was sweating, but it wasn't just from fighting. My heart was beating too fast and if I hadn't been searching for my best friend, one of the most important people in my life, I may have collapsed on the ground.

He was on the ground between two other men. I ran towards him. His face was bloody, his leg was gone. He didn't look like Steve.

"Steve," I couldn't find the words to say. He had to be okay.

"Soda, hey buddy. What are you doing?" I started trying to lift him up.

"We're gonna get you out of here, Steve. We're gonna fix you up all nice," he shook his head.

"No Sodapop, you gotta go help the others. This is it for me." He looked up at the sky.

"No, Steve you're still alive. We're gonna get you out of here buddy." I could feel the tears in my eyes, some spilling out and running down my cheek.

"Soda, listen to me. Go help who can be helped. There's nothing you can do for me. I'm gonna go be with Johnny cakes and Dally." He squeezed my hand and tried pushing my arms away.

"Steve," I whispered. He lifted his hand and put it on my face.

"Soda, you gotta go help. You gotta get ready to leave tomorrow. You gotta be with your brothers and Two-Bit."

"No, I'm not leaving you here alone, Steve." He shook his head and wiped the tears off my face.

"You've got to be strong for the gang, Soda. You have to go. Promise me you'll take care of the rest of the gang" I grabbed his shirt and layed my head on his chest.

His heartbeat faltered.

"I—"

"Please, Sodapop, promise me you'll take care of them. It will be the only thing that gives me peace, and in return I swear to help you do it, me, Johnny and Dally will help you all through this."

"I promise" the tears were still sliding down my face.

"Don't forget me, Sodapop Curtis. You'll always be my best friend." He dropped his hand. His heartbeat stopped. He exhaled for the last time and he was gone.

"Curtis! We need your help over here!" other members of my group were calling to me. I wiped my eyes and stood up. When I looked at them I saw them carrying a man.

"You got any living ones over there?" the words stung. Living. Full of life. Full of breath. Something Steve would never be again.

"No," I called. My eyes stung again and I wiped them when they turned around. We got the wounded into helicopters to bring them to our medical tent. Then we had to get our dead. I went to the same group of men Steve was laying in. He was the first man I picked up. We were supposed to have two people per every one dead, but it was a great dishonor to him if some random person cared for him after his death. Chuck approached me.

"You want some help, Curtis?" I shook my head. Others came running over with a box. They layed it on the ground and I placed Steve in it. I stood up and wiped my eyes again. I felt hands on my shoulders. When I looked around, many of the men were on one knee in front of the box. It wasn't often that we took a knee for a fallen soldier. We closed the makeshift casket and they took him away.

The funeral took place a week later. Steve's mom was handed a folded up American flag. If she wasn't crying so bad she may have just spit on the soldier handing it to her. I could see Darry, Pony and Two-bit sitting in the front row next to her. Darry was hugging her, Pony was staring at the casket and Two-Bit was looking at the ground. I was standing next to the other soldiers, but I wanted to be with them. This was stupid, my best friend was being buried over a war that never mattered. They played taps, they shot the guns, but none of that mattered to me. My best friend was being lowered into the ground, just like Dally had been and Johnny had been. The funeral was over, everyone was leaving. Darry looked at me and I told him just to go. I wanted to be alone with Steve.

"Well Steve, we made it home. Wish it didn't have to be this way." I put my hand on his headstone.

"I wrote you a letter, I want to read it to you." I cleared my throat, wiped my eyes and began.

"Steve, you were always my best friend. I guess that's why it didn't surprise me when you told me you were signing up for the war after I got drafted. I should have told you no, I should have told you to stay until or unless you got drafted, but I was scared and selfish, and for that reason you're gone. Of course, I doubt you would have listened to me, because you're as stubborn as a person could get. I know how Dally felt now when Johnny died, sometimes I just want to go out and kill myself, but I know that wouldn't do any good. I promised you I would stay here with Darry and Pony and Two-Bit, and that's exactly what I'll do. I love you, Steve. Pass the message on to Johnny and Dally. Love, Sodapop Curtis"

I placed the letter on his grave along with his boots and my draft letter. I wrote thank you on the draft letter. I kissed his headstone and stood up. As soon as I did I heard sniffling behind me. I turned around and saw what was left of the gang standing behind me.

"Come on, buddy. Let's go home. We'll have some cake in his honor." Darry said

Two-Bit, Pony, Darry and I put our arms around each other and walked home.


End file.
